that's what sandy looks like down here. but up there, from space, you can clearly see the tropical storm. its large, stretching field over 90 miles across. and sandy aggravates the atlantic, its path of destruction has left 43 people dead across the caribbean. through the weekend, the storm will hug the carolinas before turning its eye directly towards the coast. somewhere between the mid-atlantic, northeast and new england by monday night. >> this storm that is going to be impacting the mid-atlantic and parts of the northeast is going to be destructive, historic, and unfortunately life-threatening. >> reporter: tropical storm sandy is a strong storm alone. but she's about to get infused with two atmospheric players. sandy will meet up with a trough from the west. that means a lot of energy and cold, dry air to mix in. then, you have a high-pressure system parked over green land. that creates a blocking pattern, driving it into the east coast. the biggest concern in the coming days is the potential for four-foot to ten-foot